Switch-point.



l P'. HOFFMANN.

SWITCH POINT.

1,033,400. I' l PawnteaJu1y23,1912;

' f77/vena?! l@ JMG/,fm am@ JJLMQMJM@ H www@ v'UNITED sTATs OFFICE.

PAUL HQFFMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, SSIGNOB T10 AJAX FRGEl COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 'A GBPGBATION 0F ILLINOIS.

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Specification of Lettersvlatent. Patented July 23,1912.

Application lillu! January l2, 1912. Serial No. 670,793.

may be'adjusted to the body of the switch rail in a plurality of positions thereby presenting new material in the region of greatest wear`when one part of said member has Abecome worn. In the preferred form of my invention, I apply the wear member to the inside ofthe switch rail, but I have also shown and described 'a wear member which may be applied to the outside, that is, the side toward the stock rail.

' The particularobject and nature of my invention will more clearly appear from the following description and claims, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the tapered end of a switch rail with one form of my improved wear member `applied thereto.

Fig. 2 1s a perspective view of the eXtreme end of the switch rail before the preferred form of wear member is applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the extreme end of the wear member illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross section upon the line 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a cross section upon the line 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view showing another form of my invention, this being a form in which the wear member maybe applied to the outside of the switch rail. F ig. 7 is a perspective view corresponding to Fig. l and showing a modified form of the wear member.

In point switches the greatest wear occurs upon the inside of the point or switch rail adjacent its end, this being the point where the wheels of the rolling stock are first deflected from their course, and in practice frequent renewals of the switch rails are necessary on account of the excessive wear at this point. In certain prior constructions hard metal, such as manganese steel, has been used at the point of switch rails for the purpose of securing agreater degree of resistancre to the excessive wear mentioned; .In l

my improved construction I applya hard metal wear member at the point referred to and construct this wear member in such manner that after it becomes worn in one part its position may be change'dvso as to present a new and unworn surfacek at the region of greatest wear. l y.

In the form of' t-he invention illustrated in Figs. l to 5, the head 1 of the switch rail 2 is tapered in the usual manner. sich tapering upon the outside,v or side toward the stock rail, being varied to such an extentv as to make the head of the rail thinner than the web thereof. The precise manner, however, in which the head of the rail is tapered is not essential to the application of my invention. In Fig. 1 I have shown the usual reinforcingstrap 3 secured to the'w'eb ofthe switch rail, andv at the extreme end of the switch rail I have shown the head com pletely cut away down to the web of the rail forming a notch or recess 4. The head of the switch rail may be cut away to any tie-fired vdistance back from the point. In the drawings I have illustrated the head as cut away only 'a short distance back from the point,-

but the amount of the head of the switch rail which is cut away may be varied to any extent. The inside of the head of the switch rail is cutaway upona line 5. thus reducing the thickness of the head of the switch rail to a point beyond the necessary outline for the completed structure. The part of the head of the switch rail cut away upon v`the line 5 and toform the recess 4 is replaced by the hard met-al wear' member 6. The wear member 6 is symmetrically constructed about a horizontal plane passing vthrough its center and is provided upon opposite sides at its upper and lower edges adjacent theend with projections 7 and 7 adapt-ed to fill the recess 4 in the end of the switch rail. The wear member 7 is also beveled at 8 and 8 in order to give the assembled structure the desired form for deflecting passing wheels upon the switch rail. The beveled surfaces 8 and 8 and the projections 7 and 7 are of the same form and the entire structure is preferably formed symmetrically, as above stated, about a horizontal plane passing through the center of the wear member. The wear member 6 is so formed as to lill the recess formed by cutting away the'head I of the switch rail along the plane 5, thereby tongue adapted to lie beneath the head of plied to the outside of a switch rail 15.

the switch rail. The wear member is provided preferably along its center with boltholes 11 to receive bolts for securing the same to the switch rail, and is also provided with bolt-holes 12 and 12, the bolt-holes 12 and 12 being symmetrically disposed about thehorizontal center of the wear member. The bolt-holes l2 and 12 are located as described on account of the fact that the switch rods ordinarily used are provided with boltholes which are adapted to lie somewhat. lower than the center of the wear member in order that the head of the switch rod may lie beneath the flanges of passing wheels.

When the wear member becomes worn along the inside of its upper edge, as shown in Fig. 1, it may be removed from the switch rail and turned through 180, thereby bring ing the project-ion 7 and the wear surface 8 into the positionpreviously occupied by the wear surface 8 and projection 7. This has the effect of placing a new and unworn section in operative relation with the switch ra il, thus doubling the life ofthe wear member.v The bolt-holes 11 being upon the centerline of the wear member and the boltholes 19J and 12 posed about the center, such reversal of position is efectedjwith no labor other than removing the bolts, turning the wear member over and replacing the bolts.

In Fig. 6 I have'illustrated in cross section a wear member 14 adapted to be ap- This view shows the switch rail in operative relation with a stock rail 16. In Fig. 5 the form of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 is shown in operative relation with a stock rail 16.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a wear memi ber 17 of symmetrical form and provided with wear surfaces 18, 18, this wear member being adapted to lie alongside of the head of the switch rail throughout its length. In the form of the structure illustrated in Fig. 7, the switch rail 19 maintains its complete height throughout its length and extends t-o the extreme end of the switch rail structure, not being cut away to form a recess such as designated by the numeral 4 `in connection with the form of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5. The wear member 17, illustrated in Fig-7, is

symmetrically constructed as described in being symmetrically dis' connection with the other forms of my '1nvention and may be reversed to present a new wear region when one part becomes worn.

While I have described certain specific embodiments of my invention, the application of the principle thereof is not restricted to the'particular forms illustrated as above described, but consists generally in the construction of a reversible wear member provided with a plurality of parts that may be successively adjusted to the region of greatest wear.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a switch rail, and a wear member adapted to be secured to said switch rail, said wear member having a plurality of wear sections -each of which may be adjusted and secured in operative relation to said switch rail.

2. In a device of the class described, a switch rail, and a wear member, said wear member being symmetrically formed where by it may be adjusted in dierent relations to said switch rail for the purpose of presenting a new part in the region of wear when one part becomes worn.

3. In a device of the class described, a switch rail, and a wear member, said wear member being provided with symmetrically disposed projections adapted to engage the said switch rail in a plurality of positions,

.whereby a new wearing surface may be adjusted and secured in operative position when one of the wearing surfaces becomes worn.

4. In a device of the class described, a switch'rail, a portion rail being cut away adjacent the tapered end thereof, and a wear .member symmetrically disposed projections, whereby said wear member may be adjusted and secured to said switch rail with either of said projections resting upon the web of said rail in the space wherethe head thereof is cut away.

5. In a device of the class described, a switch rail reduced in height at its end portion to form a recess and reduced in width along one side, and a symmetrically wear member adapted in a plurality of positions to fit into said recess and at the same time lie along the side of the part of said switch rail at which its width is reduced.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

WALTER A. Soo'r'r, ANNIE C. COURTENAY.

having two l formed 

